Something Stolen, Something Blue
by MotherMirth
Summary: Gaius hatches a plan to steal the tactician's heart. But things soon turn sour when he finds out it belongs to none other than the prince of Ylisse. A re-telling of Awakening with a change of direction. Slowmance!
1. Chapter 1

Welcome! I hope you enjoy reading! I've got a lot planned out, so this should be a fun ride!

The change in direction I mentioned in the description will come about after the first war arc has ended, if you're curious.

I hope I do these characters justice :)

This will be told from both Gaius' and Robin's POV - Though I may add cameo POV's in future chapters to keep things fresh.

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Gaius

The great castle of Ylisstol definitely stood up to grandeur he had expected. Tall, ornate corridors lined with interlacing archways, grand portraits of kings since passed and more doors than you could shake a stick at. Save for the band of Plegian mercenaries and sell-swords he would have felt more privileged to be in such an upstanding place. Feeling a tug of greed at his fingertips, he placed his hand into his cape before running his fingertips over the lockpicks he had safely tucked away – Making sure he had enough to get in each treasure trove of a room. _Sweet, more than enough,_ He thought with a cool grin. He shifted his gaze towards the other troops, a sudden unease filled the air with chatter. New orders from the commander, no doubt. They reached him on a wave of enthusiasm and bloodlust, carrying weight due to the promises of gold and fortune.

"Whoa, Whoa, did I just hear that right? We're to kill the Exalt?" Gaius answered in dismay, glaring up at the tall fighter who obviously did not want to repeat himself.

"Direct order from the boss, short stack," The muscular heathen boasted, pulling his steel axe from his side before pointing the bladed edge towards the thief, a fiendish smile pulling at his chops, "You gotta problem with that?"

Gaius gave a single tut in response, his eyes lazily narrowing at the uncomfortable threat, but otherwise staying silent.

"Huh. I thought so." The heathen growled, mistaking Gaius' silence for submission. The Thief let out a heavy breath as the man rested his axe upon his shoulder, moving to a more comfortable distance. It was exactly this sort of thing that made him wish for better company. That, and the fact that they wanted to kill the Exalt. Who, in his opinion, was a stand up gal. Easy on the eyes, too. Sure, he'd rob her blind – but never kill her.

It was uncomfortable to see such mercenaries among the finery that was Castle Ylisstol; like seeing a children with jam covered hands in an art gallery.

Then, something caught him slightly off guard. A rumbling felt through his feet, undoubtedly hooves barrelling down nearby corridor. Soon it was heard and felt by all the other troops, triggering defensive stances, shouts and a heavy blanket of anticipation to fall over the scene. A muffled whinny from a horse echoed throughout the halls, followed by the unmistakable sound of metal on metal. It seemed the castle was fighting back, and suddenly a pit of war began to erupt. A blast of fire rumbled and blew out one of the walls next to him, flames licking over the fine tapestry walls and intricate carpeted floors. Dust and debris billowed through the air, thick and surrounding. Gaius swiftly escaped the danger zone, following two other mercenaries down the nearest corridor. _Oh boy, this doesn't look good,_ He thought as he unsheathed his steel sword, keeping it close to his body like a second sliver of armour, _This was supposed to be an easy vault job. Nobody said anything about murder._ He grimaced to himself and searched the walls for a window to bow out of, _I'd rather be labelled as a deserter than one of these dastards._

Before he could reach the nearest pane a barrel of flames crashed into one of the men, the sheer power of it sending the man through the air, only to have him land a few feet from Gaius. His motionless body and the gruesome scent of burning flesh made it clear he wasn't getting back to his feet. Immediately the red headed thief fell back into a defensive stance, green eyes widening lightly as he saw a sword appear through the back of the other mercenary. The man slid from the blade as easily as it had slain him.

"Drop your weapon, or die where you stand!" A powerful voice called, its blue haired owner pointing the same sword towards him. Bloodied with the many lives already taken. Gaius immediately recognised the divine sword and it's owner, the brand on the man's shoulder confirming it. The prince of Ylisse himself, Chrom. This guy would not be pulling any punches.

"Easy there, blue blood. I'm not here to hurt anyone," The thief replied, rising from his previous stance as he held the end of his sword's hilt between two fingers; showing his willingness to comply, but not allowing himself to be totally defenceless. Evidently he had no experience in dealing with nobles, nor did he trust them.

"... And yet you run with a band of assassins?" The prince's blade stood unwavering, and from behind him appeared a mage, hooded in a gold-clad purple cloak, her honey coloured tresses falling loose from the ominous attire. She whispered something confidently to the prince before glancing her hand over the book, seemingly drawing fire from its depths.

"Whoa there!" He eased, not desiring a similar death to his smouldering comrade. He dropped his sword deciding to try and talk his way out of this one, "Believe it or not, just trying the make a living. I'm a thief, you know, bust open doors, crack into chests... That kind of thing. Ain't here to assassinate anyone. I'd just as soon sit this one out."

"Hmm... Then perhaps you'd be willing to prove your good intentions?"

"Beg pardon?"

"We need all the help we can get to save the Exalts life. You appear capable, and we could use any information you have about our foes." The princes blade loosened, and he lowered it slowly, much to Gaius' relief. The mage also released her flames into nothing, taking a step closer as if to evaluate him, though the thief could see nothing of her features through the shadow of her hood. Gaius narrowed his eyes, realising he had at least the tiniest bit of leverage against them. He smirked, maybe he could get something out of this.

"Oh, right - Those good intentions. Fine then, I'll prove my sincerity... If you sweeten the deal."

"You want gold? - Fine, you scoundrel," The price replied sharply, pulling off a brown pouch from his belt and chucking it roughly to the Thief. He caught it swiftly tipping a few out onto his hand, but his eyes widened as he noticed they were not coins, but sweets coloured that of the rainbow.

"Candies?" Gauis said in a sweet surprise.

"Ah- Wrong pouch – candies from my younger sister, I –"

"Done deal!" He said seriously, his sweet tooth betraying him.

"You'll risk your life for us... Over a bag of candy?"

"I did ask you to sweeten the deal, didn't I? But don't get me wrong, I'll take the gold too, later," He smiled, reaching out to shake the prince's hand.

"All right then, it's a deal," He shook his hand firmly before gesturing to the robed mage. "This is Robin, our tactician. If she tells you to do something, you better well do it."

Robin nodded her head, smiling gently at the previous exchange, she was clearly amused, "Good to have you, um –"

"Gaius," He replied quickly, glad she had some semblance of humour. "Now-" He continued, concentrating at the task at hand, willing to complete his side of the deal, "The commander has his troops stationed at each corridor, and the castle entrances. But nothing along the outer walls. You're probably looking at 50 men, give or take, and each one is gunning for the Exalt's head," They began running down the corridor, catching up on lost time, heading towards the main belly of the fight. The racket of chiming blades, voices raging and horses stressing livened his senses. He noticed Robin had the majority of her gaze on him, though. The candlelight would catch under her hood every few steps, revealing dark green eyes, ticking like clockwork, "The majority of these forces are just rag-tag mercenaries – nothing elite. Wasn't expecting you guys to be so well prepared, my guess."

Chrom swiftly lunged forward, the divine blade slicing through the body of a mercenary like soft fruit, he withdrew his blade with a swipe, removing the fresh blood from the blade, "Yeah, someone gave us a heads up," The blue haired prince replied, before heading into the fray. Robin stayed close behind him, but suddenly turned on her heels, eyes intent on the thief.

"Will you fight with us, Gaius?" The tactician asked earnestly, her gaze and simple words contradicting the foot of battle. The thief was taken off guard, he had all the right to turn tail and leave, but there was something so compelling about her – about them both. He never would agree to fight for Ylisse, but he would always fight for what was right in his mind.

"Can't bear to see such a handsome rogue disappear into the night, huh?" He gripped his sword with a new purpose, switching from defence to offence, "All right, I'll fight with you," He agreed, meeting at her side.

Robin

"Thank you." Refreshed at his sense of humour, she smiled as the flame haired thief joined at her flank. She wasn't quite sure what to make of him yet, though the fire of battle usually led to a good judge of character. Indeed you never truly know someone until they were fighting for their life. She made a mental note to keep him close during the fray, for a trickster like that could not be fully trusted, especially one who had just deserted his previous commander for the enemy. Though from what she had seen already, his words rang true, and the resolve in his actions was good enough for her. And he was right, the enemy troops consisted of for hire mercenaries, a mixture of mages, brutes and theives. She gave a hidden grimace as she glanced over the surreal battlefield, surrounded by stone and marble – books and works of art discarded to the ground like waste paper, stained with blood. The halls that had been peaceful until but moments ago now lay host to such atrocities.

The tactician graced her hand over the rough leather that bound her tome, the warmth of fire tickling her senses as it burned into existence. With lethal precision she hurled the fireball towards an axe wielding foe, his body erupting in flames as he fell to the ground, writhing in aginy. This opened up a clear path for both Gaius and Chrom to take advantage of. Her main plan was to push the enemy back; she could not afford for even one of them to get through. As if to signal her plan was working, many of the shepherds had gathered in the main hall to pursue the enemy. She quickly began to give orders to her companions. Going off the small – but useful – amount of information Gaius had given her.

Frederick's horse roared onto the scene, an armour clad hand reaching down to assist her. With little effort he pulled her up onto the back of his horse, the armoured beast able to barrel through the crowds as she relayed her tactics to him, making sure her formations didn't break. She gave her orders to the rest, satisfied that they should be able to hold the castle whilst she and Chrom went to take out the commander. _Cut off the head of the snake,_ She thought before touching ground again next to the blue haired prince.

Frederick's horse let loose a hefty shriek, raising it's front hooves to fend off an incoming lance. The great knight grunted trying to keep control of the beast as he sent his lance through the body of the enemy with massive force. The horse calmed and recovered its stony stance.

"Are you all right, Milady?" He asked out of courtesy, using his tank of a horse like a shield.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Frederick," She replied gratefully, turning her gaze to see the prince and the thief covering each other's backs, "Take the side entrance with Stahl, we'll hold them off here!"

"It will be done," The knight replied calmly, following his orders without protest.

She nodded him a trustful farewell before turning into the fray. Her mind held steadfast as she fell into the motions of combat. The smell of blood and fire smothered the familial sense as she placed her back to the duo, noticing the slight relief in Chrom's stance as she did. It was strange fighting in a trio, if it weren't for the fact they were outnumbered she would have felt a bit uncomfortable – especially when her and Chrom worked so well together on the battlefield. With each back covered, they took down the bulk of the enemy, flashes of steel and flames whirled in her vision, as they blocked, parried and held their stance.

"Move towards the far entrance! We're going for the commander!" She hailed to them both, her voice raised over the sounds of war. The foe's units were starting to thin out, and they needed to take the opportunity. In response the trio started to advance. The arch of the main gateway soon loomed overhead as she felt the evening air rush over her face, cooling the back of her neck under her hood. Robin found it easier to wield fire magic with her hood up, the extra shade blocking out glare from the harsh light, helping her aim more precisely. She conjured another ball of visceral flame; her hands covered in a film of waxy black ash from overuse. She knew this was the last use she was going to get out of the mystical book. She glanced behind to find a brute flailing his axe towards Chrom, watching the prince strain to block as she sent the fireball into the man's side, taking him out of the fight.

They were almost out into the courtyard when a familiar scream halted their advance.

"Lissa!" Robin whispered in worry, looking back towards one of the western corridors, seeing shadows of enemies dance across the illuminated walls.

"Robin!" Chrom shouted for her attention, looking for a response.

"Go to her," She nodded, knowing that he was going after his beloved sister, gods knew she wanted to as well, but she could not abandon the foothold they had right now. "We'll be fine," Chrom replied with a nod and a kindly placed hand on her shoulder before taking off in search of his sister. Robin turned to the thief who seemed to be watching everything unfold in a lazy disbelief. "Ready to prove yourself?" She said to him as she flung her broken tome to the ground. She pulled her sword from it's sheath, eyes mingling over the band of mages closing in on them, a bead of sweat falling from her chin.

"You bet. But you... know how to use that thing, right?" He replied playfully.

She did not reply, only allowing a humoured smirk paint her hooded features. With swift skill she knocked him to one side, twisting then parrying a blast of fire with her sword, sending it into a nearby wall. The blast kicked up a violent gust, whipping the hood from her head, sending free her light hair, bringing her face into light. Green eyes turned fierce as she watched the thief take the advantage, striking down the mage. Gaius quickly returned to her side, looking rather smug "Huh, not bad. No longer so mysterious though, kinda ruins the mood for me."

"Sorry to disappoint. What if I say there's more candy in it for you?" she strained to laugh as they worked rather haphazardly together, taking down the other two mages in quick succession, still feeling the heat of fire prickle her skin from dodging the attacks. He was no Chrom, but it seemed they were making the best of a bad situation.

"Ah, that's more like it," He replied calmly, bracing for the next enemy as they moved onwards into the fray.

They soon made it onto the courtyard, the cool air being a short-lived relief as both thief and tactician let their eyes fall upon the ring leader of Emmeryn's assassination.

"Ho, ho! Can it be?! After years of searching..." The cruel voice of the commander suddenly added a new pressure. He was unusually calm, especially for one about to lose his life. His next words fell down a tone, more serious and dark "I... know you, tactician. Submit to me, and perhaps I might honour you with the truth!"

This sudden revelation took Robin by surprise, a cluster of thoughts rushed through her mind as she stammered, losing some strength. Her blade tipped down only slightly as she faltered, but it seemed that was enough for the thief to notice.

"What? – What do you mean?! I – "

"Hey. Don't believe a word this cretin tells you. He'll say just about anything to save his ass right now." Gaius spoke convincingly, raising his sword with purpose towards the enemy, trying to raise hers in spirit.

"You're right – "

" – Bah! Seems I'm not the only one out for my own hide! I recognise you too... Your betrayal is most disconcerting. Now... my precious little Robin, if you don't mind, I tire of such subordination." The sorcerer reached out his hand, long nails pointing towards the tactician, "Strike that low life down, and return to my side!"

"... Return?" Robin whispered, her complexion paling at the thought. _Was this who I was before Chrom found me? A Plegian dog of war? He... was my superior?_ Her head began to hurt as she felt confused for the first time since she awoke in that field. But soon enough she felt the rough hilt at her hand, and the concerned face of the man beside her. It was all the resolve she needed, "I'd sooner put my sword through your side!"

"Such insolence! I'll drag you kicking and screaming then!"

"You'll get neither me or the Exalt." She replied blackly, her and Gaius falling into step together, a relieved smirk upon the face of the thief.

The sorcerer glowered at Robin's resolve, clutching his black tome, dark skin magnifying his red eyes, "Emmeryn was supposed to be an easy target, you will pay for interfering in my designs!" His long nails grated the leather of the tome as he summoned purple flames to rise into his clutches. It crackled with a menacing echo, and it was soon clear that he was not a simple mage.

With little in the way of mercy the sorcerer sneered, sending the ethereal fire hurtling towards them. They separated quickly to avoid the blast, yet getting close to the sorcerer was tricky, with each blast parried and dodged, a new one appeared to singe and blister. Within moments she found herself leaping from a spell, only to find her body unable to cope. Exhausted, She staggered off balance and fell to her knees, her hand scrambling for the sword she dropped. _Gods!_ She cursed herself as the ground ahead of her illuminated in that ominous purple light. Her eyes sharply rose to behold the Sorcerer's triumphant smile as he let loose another fireball in her direction. She tried for her footing but before she could stand she felt a heavy blow to her side, sending her out of the way. A flash of red hair, and a keen smirk confirmed her suspicions as they both fell roughly to the ground. The spell hurtling into a nearby tree.

Abruptly the blasts halted, a snickering gargle reached the tacticians ears as she watched though the settling dust. The sorcerer's body fell to its knees as Chrom removed Falcion from his back with a slick crack.

"No... this is... all wrong... How could... you have known the plan?" The commander stammered into the scorched dirt as his last breath left him.

"Are you all right?" The prince called as he ran to Robin's side, offering a hand to help her up. A visible flood of relief washed over her features as she reached for his hand, and she let out a deep breath, "Give me your hand."

"Lissa?"

"She's safe, don't worry."

"Thank you, Chrom," She said as she rose to her feet. Consciously noticing Gaius make his own way up "Ah!" She faltered, clutching her hand to her side as if to keep herself in one piece. "I might have fared batter against the fire though," She tried to laugh, looking to the thief.

"Maybe," Gaius spoke as he placed his hands behind his head, "But you'd look a lot less pretty for it."

"Good work," Chrom interjected, catching their attention. "We saw what you did for Robin, for all of us."

 _We?_ Robin raised her sights across the courtyard as the prince and thief continued their brief conversation, her eyes catching the form of a pegasus and it's rider. The beast held itself proud and battle ready, slicks and flecks of blood tainting it's otherwise flawless white hide. Sumia had trained the beast well since their battle at castle Ferox. The woman in question raised her arm in a flighty wave.

" – Though it seems like you have the skills of an assassin more so that of a thief."

"Easy there! – nothing wrong with knowing how to use a blade."

"I can't argue with that. However, I warn you to stay away from the royal family. At least for now." Chrom's words held a hefty weight. Yet due to the stresses of the day, she couldn't blame him for being over cautious.

"You're the boss."

She sighed, walking towards the body of the sorcerer, her brow knitting as she noticed something familiar.

"Chrom. Look at this," Robin said urgently, kneeling by the body of the sorcerer, her hands glancing over the design of his robe, "It's... it's almost identical to mine. Could he have been telling the truth... That he actually knew me?" Her green eyes connected with his, confused and looking for answers.

"Even so," Chrom replied gently, walking over to her. He reached out a hand and pulled her up to her feet, "I can imagine a man like that would have nothing but bad news. Put it out of your mind for now. We will find out about your past, don't let this sway you."

"You're right," She smiled, turning to the thief, "And thank you, Gaius. You really came through for us tonight. Won't you stay for a while? No doubt we could use someone with your particular... skills."

The thief seemed slightly taken aback, but responded without missing a beat, "Sure thing. Besides, you still owe me some gold – And candy! Don't forget the candy, now."

"I hadn't forgotten," Robin laughed.

Chrom turned and began pacing towards the nearest entrance, "Come on, lets get back inside, Emm will be worried."

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Thank you for reading!

Please review if you would be so kind :)

Please let me know if there are any errors, I've tried my best to proof read this properly, but i'm far from perfect.


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome to the next installment, this one is a little more upbeat than the last.**

 **I want to give a shout out to bumtot for the review! Thank you very much :D**

 **Enjoy!**

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Robin

The sun outside was beginning to fall in the sky, lazily staining the light in hues of pink and orange. The last two days she had spent at Castle Ylisstol had been some of the longest she could remember. All her time went into organising the clean up and repair after the battle almost shook the fortress to its foundations. Quite frankly, she was exhausted.

Robin was surveying the last of the corridors leading to the main hall, the whirling memories of battle now a complete reversal of what was before her. Indeed the operation had been a frightening success, to glance upon it with innocent eyes, one would not have dreamed a battle had taken place here. They were now but shadows behind her eyes.

She walked into the main hall, the wall across the way catching her attention, her brow creasing inquisitively as she closed the distance. Her footsteps echoed throughout the lonely room, shoes clacking upon the bare stone where the carpets had been removed.

She let her fingers touch on a scorch mark upon the marble, feeling the chalky black residue on her fingers. It was the same mark left from the blast of fire she had parried in battle. A testament to her skill, knowledge... and well, arrogance if she remembered correctly. She thought it a shame that it would soon be scrubbed from the stone like an unwanted stain. Or perhaps she was just being far too sentimental.

The sound of footsteps followed by a familiar voice stole that moment of reflection.

"Ah. There you are."

"Chrom!" Robin turned in surprise, though her face bore a painful grimace as she turned, the pain in her side throbbing. She obeyed the natural reaction to place a hand upon the injury, trying to muffle the unwanted sensation, "I was just – "

"Are you all right? Are you injured?" Chrom asked in concern, his original reason for finding her seemed to take a back seat. He walked rather briskly towards the tactician, and she knew that he would involve himself whether or not she objected.

"I'm fine," She lied, quickly straightening her poise as she cursed herself for not trying to hide it better, "I just... haven't had time to visit the infirmary. What with all the work that needed doing, I couldn't have been lying around on my back," She stated promptly, noticing how close Chrom was to her and feeling her nerves fluster. It had been sometime since they had been alone together, and the notion of this simple thing was mildly thrilling.

Chrom let out an exasperated sigh, "You've been attending our meetings and organising our operations in that state? I dare to think what you could have accomplished at full strength," He frowned, though a smile akin to pride surfaced.

Robin gave a shallow laugh, "It's fine, honestly, Chrom. If I stand up straight I can hardly feel it."

"That would explain your rather faultless posture over the last two days," He japed, before falling back into his previously serious demeanour, "Come on now, show me."

"I – ah – well, I suppose it's nothing you haven't seen before..." She stammered, her cheeks blooming beet red as she spoke her mind. Her thoughts falling back to the time he accidentally walked in on her in the bathing tent.

"That is... true," He faltered as they both shared a moment of tension. Yet the mood suddenly broke when Robin pushed back the left side of her cloak and lifted the silk shirt to reveal a horrific bruise. The gruesome blotch laid upon her lower ribcage, the area looking angry and painful, "Gods, Robin! You may well have broken something!"

Her eyes widened at the state of her flank, she had not realised how bad it was until now, "Well, I must admit, it does hurt to breathe just a bit," She mumbled, her legs starting to feel a bit like jelly. Through her determination she had pushed passed the pain and exhaustion, but now it was coming back to bite her two fold, "I should probably get to the infirmary."

"Good to know you've not lost ALL sense," the blue haired prince replied, a caring anger entwined in his words, "Come on, I'll take you there."

"Thank you, Chrom," She replied as she went to take a few steps, though her mind over matter ideals betrayed her and she staggered. Without hesitation, and with due haste, the prince caught her. Neither of them moved for a few long seconds, as it was the closest either of them had been to each other. Robin could feel his hand holding her back with such care, his breath playing with the loose hairs in front of her blushed face.

"Fine then, I'll carry you there," Chrom interrupted, blatantly covering up his embarrassment with chivalry.

Robin had no words to speak as she felt his other arm take the legs from under her, hauling her up to carry her bridal style. She immediately tried to look elsewhere, feeling rather abashed at the prince's sudden closeness. She had no idea what to to with her arms, and so joined them on her chest. He carried her for a short while before she finally managed to grasp at some composure. She was usually so balanced and unflappable, but when it came down to this blue haired fool, she couldn't help but let her guard down.

"Isn't this... well, a bit inappropriate? What is someone sees us? Gods, the rumours..." Robin finally spoke, her eyes daring to look up at his.

"I, er, well... I don't see anything inappropriate with helping an injured friend... And I have no interest in idle gossip, if most of what they say is true, I would be betrothed to half the women in the army – Not that I treat ALL the women like this! – I... well, you know how people talk."

Robin laughed, feeling more comfortable that he were just as flustered as she was. It was good sharing this time together, she had been harbouring feelings for Chrom for a while now, but never truly let it come to the surface to indulge in. The distraction was always too much to handle, especially when you had so many lives at stake. Besides, he was the prince of Ylisse, a kingdom now at war with Plegia, he had no time to be chasing his heart... But at least for a moment, she let herself enjoy it.

"The castle is looking good... considering what happened here," He said, eyes wandering across the halls as he turned down one of the corridors.

"Yeah, I presume the maids had good practice from all your training sessions over the years."

"Hm, I'm sure. Oh, that reminds me, I had that hole behind the maple grove repaired where Marth got in."

"I wonder where she went... we owe her a great deal," Robin mused as they arrived, her thoughts wondering over the enigmatic woman, _was she truly trying to change the future?_

"Maribelle?" Chrom called as they entered the infirmary. The large room was far enough back in the castle as not to harmed by the battle. The walls and floor were clad in smooth white stone, while royal blue curtains created makeshift rooms within. The low sunlight giving the room colour, splashing it in warm hues. Staves of all types cluttered the main desk, jumping suddenly as Maribelle slammed her hands against the oak.

"What is this, My Lord? Are we at war yet again?! We have barely recovered from the last onslaught – "

"– Calm yourself, Maribelle, everything is fine."

"Then why, pray tell, are you cradling Robin in your arms like a fallen comrade?" Chrom placed her down on the nearest bed, his heat replaced by the soft blankets beneath her. Though she wanted for nothing in his arms, she could not feel a wave of relief wander through her as she felt surprisingly more composed. "Well?" Maribelle impatiently snapped.

"It's an injury I received from the battle, seems it has finally caught up with me," She smiled weakly to the blonde noble woman, whose brooding temper was clearly rising.

"You mean to tell me that you've been gallivanting around with an injury for TWO DAYS? Have you gone completely out of your mind?" The question was clearly rhetorical as she took a deep sigh before dropping her tense shoulders, she clearly had at least some sympathy towards the hard working tactician, "Just... Show me your injury and I'll see what I can do." Robin obeyed and began to lift up the fabric over her flank, just as she revealed a sliver of skin, Maribelle turned, giving Chrom a side eye, "A lady is undressing, my lord."

"Ah – er, yes... I mean, I will take my leave. Thank you, Maribelle. I'll see you tomorrow, Robin," He said, giving a nod to them both before heading out the door. Robin laughed softy at the rather awkward exit as Maribelle briskly pulled a curtain, shielding them both from passers by.

She let out a sigh, "I do sometimes worry about that man..."

Robin agreed with a knowing hum before proceeding to lift the fabric of her top, revealing the mottled bruise across her side, "I swear it wasn't as bad this morning..." Robin said, as if pleading for a touch of mercy from the healer.

"Well, broken bones DO tend to get worse before they get better," She replied simply.

"You can tell that from a glance?"

"Oh please, yes, you've clearly broken your two lower-most ribs."

"Impressive," Robin praised, watching as Maribelle selected a suitable stave from her collection.

"I've been doing this a long time now. But please, spare me your flattery..." She said sharply, returning to her bedside, "We are escorting the exalt tomorrow, are we not? How could you leave yourself in such condition on the eve of our outing?! We need our lead tactician to be in full working order before going out on the field! Anything could happen now we are at war, you need to be swift upon your feet."

Robin felt her words hit home. The woman's anger and concern causing her to regret being so selfless. She had truly been a fool to run herself to the limit these past two days, "You're right, Maribelle, I'll be sure to get myself healed right away in future, thank you."

"That's what friends are for, my dear," She replied sweetly, plainly satisfied with Robin's response, "Now, lie still and I'll fix you up... and, is that... soot on your fingers? Ugh, come to see it, you're filthy! I'll have the maids draw you a bath and get you some clean clothes."

* * *

The moon now loomed in the sky, the precious light it reflected blocked by heavy cloud, making it look like a dark harbinger on the day to come. The air had a chill to it, but to Robin's clean cheeks it was rather refreshing. She led Sully's horse towards the end of the castle bridge, its hooves treading against the old wood, making a rather soothing sound to an otherwise quiet stroll. Sully had left it with the stable master after the battle, poor beast needed re-shoeing – and to have all the blood cleaned from her hide. And judging by Sully's reputation on the battlefield, the stable master would have had his work cut out for him.

She had hoped to see Chrom again before departing for the Barracks, but searching the castle for one man would have taken time she did not have spare. She had preparations to sort before departing for the Eastern Palace in the morn.

She soon arrived at the Shepard's headquarters, the ride was a short one, but Robin was not a born rider, so it felt much longer than it should have. She saw the red headed cavalier rise to her feet as she entered the stables. Even dressed in casual clothing, Sully looked intimidating. Tall with a muscular physique, and a strong attitude to boot.

"Hey! Better late than never I suppose," Sully remarked, giving Robin a hand down from the chestnut steed, "I was starting to get worried." She laughed, her voice haughty and tough as always.

"Worried about me or the horse?" Robin joked, enjoying the feel of the still earth beneath her feet.

"Psh!" The cavalier replied, "So... You all right?" The woman clapped a hand over Robin's back, making her wince.

" – Ahem! Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Well, there's been a lot of talk going around about the last battle... Heard you kinda burned out! You should do some sparring with me, I'll get you in shape in no time flat!"

"Gods, no! How embarrassing!" Robin muttered, her brow clenched at the shame of having such stories strewn around in talk.

"Ah don't worry about it, plenty of good stuff going around too! So how about it?"

"Yeah... That sounds good, Sully, Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, I'm gonna make you wish you'd never been bor – uh, found in a field!" She laughed, the mark of challenge reflected on her features.

They both laughed together before she said her goodbyes and headed down the mess hall. The fire was roaring inside, sending out a warm light into the entrance, the sound of loud chatter catching on the wind. It seemed quite a few Shepherds had stayed up for a late supper. Though one voice in particular caught her attention, the dramatics sending a bolt up her spine.

"AND THEN! After making sure his sister's foes had been vanquished, Chrom turned to me, 'Let's go, Sumia! Take me back to the fight!', 'Get on, Captain!' I replied, and we rode towards the courtyard together, Chrom taking out enemies in mid flight!"

Gaius

The thief sat on one of the windows in the mess hall, the warmth of the fire and the cool evening air kept him alert, yet so very comfortable. Being a Shepard seemed to be a pretty sweet gig; he got paid, had a roof over his head, and almost everyone was friendly... Not to mention the large keg of honey mead the villagers had gratefully supplied them. Seemed too good to be true in his mind, especially since it was all orchestrated by a noble. He rolled his attention back to the brunette woman in the centre of the hall, stood upon one of the tables with a bottle of the mead in one hand, re-telling the story of the 'Great Battle of Ylisstol' or so she dubbed it. It was almost like watching a big dysfunctional family the way someone would object, correct, or try to add their own swing on things. He took a sip of the sweet brew as another voice piped up.

"HEY HEY HEY! Yer getting' this all wrong! I'll have you know it was the VAIKE that did the vanquishin'!" The blonde haired fighter interrupted arrogantly, though his large, prideful smile made him seem playful. He reminded Gaius of the mercenaries he had encountered in the past, though a lot... happier? More care free?

"If I am not mistaken," A smart looking mage piped up, "Through the previous tellings of this particular calamity, I have come to understand that you were entirely incapacitated during the time of Chrom's rescue of Lissa."

"Incapaca-whatnow?" Vaike replied with an annoyed quip to his voice, it was clear he didn't understand a word of what Miriel said. Everyone in the mess hall started to laugh.

Vaike placed his arm behind his neck, "Oh come on guys! Cut me a little slack!"

"– And then enters our newest shepherd!" Stahl said over the laughter, looking over to Gaius.

"Already a fabled warrior, huh? Nice," The thief replied, allowing a humble smile to escape his features.

"Oh, yes!" Sumia added akin to a cheer, "A stranger who stepped up from the shadows, to be a hero when all seemed lost!"

"A hero? Gosh you're gonna make me blush, Stumbles..." Gaius smiled. She was clearly a bit drunk, and being overly dramatic, but he went with the energy all the same, enjoying his time in the lime light. He chewed the stick in his mouth, the tasty treat that was once at the end had long since gone.

"PSH! A hero?! Sellin' him a bit highly there, Sumia!" Vaike replied out of jealousy.

"Not at all! For suddenly the great tactician, Robin, fell to the ground, unable to dodge as the enemy commander raised his FEARSOME AXE! –"

" – Wait! Wasn't he a sorcerer last time?" The young mage piped up.

"Shhhh, Ricken!" Sumia responded impatiently with a smile, carrying on regardless, "As she was about to lose her head to this great foe, a new ally came to the rescue! Pushing her out of harms way! Putting his very life before the woman, whom was his enemy just moments before!" Sumia paused for a moment, placing her free hand on her heart, tilting her head, "Oh, by the gods, it's just so romantic..." She swooned.

Vaike shot out a distasteful grunt.

"Agreed, highly illogical behavior." Miriel added.

Stahl quickly stole the moment while Sumia was distracted, "Then Chrom took his chance whilst the commander had his back turned, striking him down with a single blow! – "

" – Stahl!" Sumia groaned, "You stole the best part!"

"Sorry, Sumia, I couldn't help myself!" Stahl soothed, raising his palms towards the pegasus knight in a guilty notion. The crowd fell back to idle chatter, mulling through the other heroics that filled that fated battle. Gaius took a brief moment of reflection, twiddling the stick in his mouth. _I suppose I did risk my life for her... huh,_ He mused, wondering why he did such a thing. He had never been called a hero before, not even in a passing joke. He drew a blank, thinking back to the fight, flashes of combat glimmered through his mind, flashes of green eyes and honey coloured hair – Fire, steel and admiration. That moment he saw her on the ground... It was like fate itself moved his body, as if nothing down to his bones could let her perish. It felt strange how he hadn't even thought about it until now, as if the act was just second nature... _Who knows, I might be turning over a new leaf –_

"– So, Gaius, you think you'll stay with us?" An unfamiliar voice asked. The thief turned to find a heavily clad knight just a couple of paces away. Gaius felt his body waver and caught himself on the window pane before he fell, the shock at having such a hulking man sneak up on him was rather unnerving. Was he losing his touch?

"– How did you...? Where did you come from?" he stammered.

"I've been sitting right here the whole time... I'm Kellam, remember? We met just yesterday."

"Oh... right, of course, I remember now. Sorry, I thought you were a ghost for a moment there... That's one hell of a gift you've got, I'd kill to have such a lack of presence." Gaius replied, truly struck with envy.

"Really?" Kellam smiled, it seemed to really cheer the guy up, "But you really wouldn't, it's not that great."

"So where is Lon'qu anyway?" Sumia piped up, catching everyone's attention, still stood upon the table, "I've not seen him since yesterday."

"He's at the castle. Chrom requested that he guard Lissa for the time being – I don't think he fully trusts our new recruit. But don't worry, we're glad you're with us, Gaius." Stahl explained, laid back as ever.

"So why did ya choose to stay anyway? Don't seem like your kinda scene." Vaike butted in, it was clear by now that the thief had a new rival to contend with.

"Ah, well, you know, it's hard to say no when a woman begs for your company – "

"– Robin!" Sumia cried as she lost her footing in surprise, stumbling backwards before landing on the floor with a crash, "Oww, ow ow." She mumbled under the restrained laughter of the other shepherds. She found her feet again, rising to greet the tactician, "Good to see you again, commander!"

Gaius froze as he saw the woman enter the mess hall, the colour draining from his face as she shot him a fierce glance from across the room.

"Wont you stay for a drink, Robin?" Stahl asked, raising a bottle between two fingers, swaying it slightly as if to tempt her.

"No, but thanks for the offer... I'm afraid I have a lot of work to do before we head out tomorrow... Though I would have stayed to give Gaius his payment for helping us at the castle... But since he clearly did it out of the goodness of his heart, he wont be wanting such a sweet reward," Robin shot a crafty look towards the thief, pulling a sucker out of the paper bag she was holding before placing it in her mouth.

 _Dammit,_ Gaius cursed to himself as Vaike have a lions roar of a laugh, "OH MAN, dude, you just got BUSTED!"

Robin swiftly exited the mess hall after pacing the bag back into the recess of her cloak, and without pause for thought Gaius stepped down from the window, walking briskly to catch up with the tactician. The room fell dense with laugher before falling back to a faint chatter as he stepped through the door. His sugary provisions had grown thin over the last couple of days, so there was no way he was going to let her skulk away into the night with his candy.

"Hey! Wait up," Gaius called after her, slowing to a walk as he reached her side. The woman have him a slanted glace, the stick of his lollipop poking out from the side of her mouth. _Huh... cute,_ he almost let slip, placing a hand behind his neck as they strolled leisurely together for a few moments.

"What do you want, Gaius?" She said as if she had him all figured out.

"Nothing wrong with escorting a lady back to her quarters is there?" He answered with a mock innocence. The cool night air mingled with the sweet alcohol in his system, making it feel fresh within his blood.

"Such a gentleman. Though I'm sure you have an ulterior motive behind this..." She mulled craftily, playing with the stick between her teeth. She seemed to be enjoying the treat, which made his sweet tooth burn all the brighter, "Though I'm sure I can accommodate your request if you _beg,"_ She laughed, obviously still pissed at what he said in the mess hall.

Gaius let out a defeated sigh, this wasn't going to come easy. He was going to have to resort to hard tactics in order to get his way. He bore a criminal smirk, an idea forming in his mind. Just as they turned a corner, now safely out of sight, he pushed her back against the wall, using his arm to block her escape, "But I would much rather _steal_ your heart than beg for it..." He gave a taut whisper, their foreheads almost touching. She was much more taken than he first expected her to be, but of course, what woman wouldn't want to be so close to such a dashing brigand? He enjoyed the sound of her breath caught short and the sudden redness that fell over her cheeks. The tactician then roughly pushed him away.

"Gaius – Wh – What in the name of Naga is wrong with you!"

He gave a cool laugh, showing her the paper bag he just swiped from her cloak, "Nothing's wrong with me now," he replied triumphantly. Revealing it to be a ruse. She opened her mouth to speak, and quick as a flash, the thief snatched the lollipop from it with ease, "Yup. This is also mine," he said, popping it into his mouth without a second thought, the sweetness instantly hitting his tongue.

"Gaius!" She shouted after him.

"Come on, lighten up! How else was I going to fool Ylisse's head tactician? I bet you had most your bases covered before I even caught up with you."

"Well – I – Yes, that's true. But you still had no right!"

"What can I say, I am a man of the world, and you underestimated me. Besides, I think the ends justify the means."

It seemed the young tactician took his words as a challenge, her anger fizzling, giving way to a composed tone, "Well, if you think that then I'll have to step up my game. I can hardly be outsmarted by a common thief now, can I?" She replied lightly, though a sly smile caught his eye.

"... Common?"

"Well if you'll excuse me, I've got a lot to sort out before we head out in the morning. Good evening, Gaius." Her eyes giving him an amused look as she turned to walk away.

"See you." He replied simply, a little confused.

He couldn't help but think she was up to something. That went over far too easy to be a victory. That smile of hers mingled on his mind for a long moment as he walked towards his own quarters. But he soon shrugged it off as he finished off what remained of the sucker, pulling out the paper bag to indulge in another tasty treat. _Ah! The spoils of victory!_ He thought as he fished out a rather strange looking candy, _What... are these?_ He thought, eyes narrowing as he took closer gander at the contents, "Figs?!" He stammered out loud as he grimaced at the fruits, feeling his face flush as he realised that she must have switched the bags whilst he wasn't looking.

 _Damn... She's good._

* * *

 **Drunk Sumia is very dramatic :) Must be where Cynthia gets it from...**

 **Thank you very much for reading! Hope you are enjoying it so far. This was a fun chapter to write.**

 **Please leave a review. It's nice to hear your thoughts :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome back! :)**

 **I've decided to separate Breakneck Pass into two chapters, as I wanted to include a lot of relationship building.**

 **Big thanks again to Bumtot for your ongoing support, plus a nod to Friedkimchilover & Drmonicblood for the reviews :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Robin

Breakneck Pass certainly lived up to its perilous namesake. Though this treacherous passage was large enough to walk a thousand strong army, the sheer drop of the cliffs made one feel rather paranoid about their next step. Great rocky crags and gnarled spires cast shadows upon the ground, many seeming like guardians to bare witness to the company passing through. The Shepherds, accompanied by a majority of the caste guard, had been on their feet for a large portion of the day. The lands had not been forgiving, thus many had fallen further behind than Robin would have liked. A scattered army was a weak one, especially since their numbers weren't that high to begin with. The sun was beginning to fall in the cloudy sky, signalling that dusk and rain was sharp behind their heels. Secretly she welcomed the darkness, knowing that it signaled rest and recuperation.

"Ugh, my poor feet. I've got blisters the size of eggs!" the pigtailed princess groaned, looking to her older brother for some sort of comfort.

"Oh, it's not so bad, Lissa. Just a healthy stroll! How are you holding up, Robin?"

"My legs feel like pudding... Your endurance astounds me, Chrom," She replied, her words betraying the brave face she had been wearing.

"Hah! Should I carry you?" The prince replied swiftly.

Robin gave a quick laugh at their little inside joke, both giving each other a knowing glance. She opened her mouth to reply, but Lissa's energy stole the moment.

"You can carry me! … No, seriously. I would really be ok with you carrying me," She then turned her gaze to the man walking a good distance to her left, giving doe eyes to the swordsman.

"Don't. Even. Think about it," Lon'qu replied firmly with an abrasive gaze, increasing the distance between him and the princess.

"Geez, what a grump!" Lissa moaned, "Anyway, what use is a body guard that doesn't even stay near me? I mean, how are you supposed to guard me from all the way over there?"

"I can close this distance in the blink of an eye," the swordsman claimed bluntly.

"Oh! I'm sorry, you're gonna have to speak up there, grumpy. You're too far away!" The young woman goaded jokingly, though her humour was not well received as far as Lon'qu was concerned.

Chrom gave an appreciative laugh, "Peace, Lissa. Leave him be. I wouldn't have given him the job of protecting you if I didn't think he could handle it."

"I know, I know, but I think I'm more of a threat to him then an assassin is to me!" Lissa cheerily added, causing the swordman to grimace at predicament fate had wrought him.

Robin tried to restrain her laughter to spare the man further embarrassment. Whilst it was true they had assigned Lon'qu to the job due to his skill, she had also hoped that he would come out of his shell more around women. However, Lissa was being far from the gentle princess she made out to be.

"So, how is our new recruit faring with the rest of the shepherds?" Chrom asked, changing the subject.

"He's fit in well, actually," the tactician replied in earnest, "... A little _too_ well," she then mumbled to herself, her thoughts falling back to the night before, daring herself to imagine what else he could have said to embarrass her further. She cleared her throat when she noticed Chrom giving her an inquisitive look, "I don't think there's any cause for concern as far as the royal family goes, if that's what your asking," She continued, _My reputation on the other hand..._

"Well, that's a relief."

"Yeah! I've been wanting to meet our newest shepherd! It's unlike you to be so cautious, Chrom," Lissa chirped.

"I know, It's just... all the commotion with Emm. It must have put me on edge."

"– Captain!" a familiar voice called as a pegasus flew majestically from the canyon, great wings beating mightily against the warm air, creating a welcomed gust to circle them like a cleansing gale. The beast then swooped down, landing with ease but a few feet away from the tactician and the prince. It let out a gentle whinny as it's dainty hooves touched down, folding it's angelic wings onto it's sides.

"Sumia!" Chrom replied, looking upon the woman with high hopes, "Anything to report?"

Sumia stayed mounted upon the pegasus, her ease on the beast made it hard to fathom that she was such a klutz on her own two feet. She couldn't help but feel a flutter of envy as she watched the woman speak with Chrom. Even Robin could appreciate her beauty and grace in the skies, not to mention her kind heart and often interesting mannerisms. It was also hard to ignore the admiration the young woman held for the prince, though many knew that it went far higher than mere admiration. At this point, Robin was sure everyone knew apart from the prince himself that Sumia was in love with him.

Robin felt herself falter for a short moment. Just thinking about it made her fell ill at ease. It seemed that jealously wasn't beyond the tactician.

"Other than that, the way ahead is clear," Sumia said with a happy vibe, running a gentle hand through the pegasus' mane, "Will we be setting up camp?"

"Hm, I'd rather continue on, but..." The prince looked back to Robin, "What do you think?"

She gave a half smile, her feet knew the answer before having to make it sound convincing, "Well, we still have a ways to go, which would mean us travelling beyond sundown – And the clouds ahead don't look forgiving. I'd say we'll be braving a storm in little more than a couple of hours –"

"– Then it's settled! I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a storm!" The princess chided, grabbing hold of Robin's hand, "Come on, lets go tell Emm the good news, then get something to eat! I'm starving!"

Robin looked back towards Chrom as she was being led away, admiring the defeated smile playing upon his face.

Gaius

"Hey, Chuckles! Heads up!" A hardy voice called through his wandering thoughts. Gaius had hardly time to even glance up to see something large hurtling towards him. With scarcely a moment to react he simply dodged the incoming mass of hides and leather, allowing it to hit the ground with a heavy thud.

"A... saddle?" Gaius turned his gaze towards the red headed cavalier, wondering why he had been singled out for such a thing. Surely he had helped out enough around camp by now.

"Ugh. You're supposed to catch it! You know what 'heads up' means, don't you?" Sully moaned, though the daring smile upon her face suggested she actually wanted to crush him.

"Yeah, but if I hadn't dodged it, I would have caught it with my face."

"Just keeping you on your toes," She gave a taught laugh before picking up the saddle, flopping it over her shoulder without much effort, "Where you headed anyway?"

"Going to find the 'ol lady, she... owes me something," He replied, being purposefully vague.

"Huh... All right then. Remind the _old lady_ we have some sparring to do later. I need her in good form."

"Will do, Chief," he mock saluted, nonchalantly heading in the direction of more tents, though secretly bracing for another saddle attack.

He wasn't entirely sure where he was going. He presumed the tactician would be making camp close to the royal family. Based off what he had heard from the other shepherds, she was quite close with the prince and his siblings, which made things difficult considering he was being treated suspiciously by them. He veered off the makeshift path through the camp site on that thought, not wanting to be stopped by any of the castle guard. Luckily the night was beginning to take hold, and the waning light along with the tents made good cover.

 _Man, if I didn't look suspicious then, I sure do now..._ He thought with a hint of concern, trying not to wonder too much towards what would happen if they found him unwittingly snooping behind the Exalt's tent. He had been weaving between the leather huts for what felt like a long, tedious few minutes before his foot nudged something solid. He looked down to see Kellam led on his back, his top half leaning on a stone boulder, the guy's face clearly in pain.

"Ghost? You ok? You look pretty beat up there..."

"Who..." He winced, looking up towards the thief, "Oh, Gaius, it's you... Yeah I'm fine... It was Panne... in the sparring ring..." He propped himself up better, one arm wrapped around his body, as if it was keeping him in one piece, "... She really... went to town on me."

"Whiskers did that? Huh, I suppose you cant judge a book by it's cover... Hey, listen, I'm lookin' for the 'ol lady's tent. Can you give me directions, or something?" he asked, cutting to the chase, his thoughts falling back to his dwindling candy supply – and the need to get even with the sly temptress.

"What...? You mean Robin..? It's the tent just... over there," he breathed heavily, his hand straining in the direction he needed to go, "But she's busy... you really shouldn't –"

"Thanks," He interrupted, eager to get on his way, "For your troubles. And try not to... trip anyone up," he added, taking out a small vulnary and placing it next to the man as he stepped over him. The thief headed in the rather vague direction, the sounds of wood crashing together and excited cheers carrying on the wind. It seemed Ghost hadn't strayed far from the sparring grounds where he had been bested. He headed over, watching the scene through a gap in two tents. The clearing was lit by a rather large fire, the roaring flames giving everything a splash of colour in the dulling light of dusk. A few familiar faces occupied the small audience, and it was pretty clear that this was going to be the main attraction tonight. He turned, switching his mind back on to the task at hand, _Now, which tent is yours..._ He mused, looking at the rather featureless scene before him.

As if on cue, the tactician's rather feminine yelp caught his ear, barely audible over the sparring grounds. He quickly headed over to the source, his hand upon the canvas door to a rather large tent, held taut with a flat roof and sides. He hesitated for a short moment, yet curiosity got the better of him. As he pulled back the door a torrent of hot orbs mixed with steam erupted from the shelter, causing him to stagger backwards. He held it open to allow it all to escape, watching as they floated up towards the angry skies. _Bubbles?_ He thought with a smirk as he caught his composure, looking himself over to find his front was soaking wet.

"Gaius!" The tactician shouted, more from surprise than anger, "What are you doing?"

He looked to find her taking cover under a desk, her hands on top of her head, hair sodden, "I think you just stole _my_ question there, Bubbles," He glanced around the tent to find white foam all over the place, as if a playful explosive had gone off inside, "What _is_ all this?" He felt water dripping through his own hair, wiping it from his face before flicking the moisture from his hands.

"It's an experiment... of sorts," she replied, clearly dodging the question. She emerged from under the desk, wiping her face with a dry part of her cloak, "Your turn."

"I was looking for you, actually," He gave a slight smile, enjoying the way she looked when wet, "And you know exactly why."

She gave a rather happy chuckle, "Oh gods, of course, the figs!"

"Don't rub it in," He grimaced, hoping she would have taken her victory with a bit more grace.

"I was just surprised you didn't FIGure it out before I left," Bubbles laughed, finding herself far too funny.

"I guess I deserve this..."

"Why I would have thought a 'man of the world' would have more tact... Perhaps it was just a FIGment of my imagination."

"You done?" He replied quickly, trying not to crack a smile at her god awful puns.

"Yeah, that's all I've got."

"I hope you didn't lose any sleep coming up with those," He countered, trying to pull back some integrity.

"He he, catch," She said simply, tossing him a small bag she pulled from her cloak, "I suppose you've been through enough for these."

Gaius caught it with one hand, though not raising his hopes too high, he opened it to find candies ranging in colours of the rainbow, mixed in with a few gold coins, "Nice. I was starting to think this was a cheap deal." He secured the bag to his hip, watching the woman scoop a piece of foam into her hands, looking at it with a rather curious expression.

"You know, you shouldn't be so close to the Exalt," she said bluntly, eyes peeling from the strange substance. It was obvious that she was trying to shoo him away to continue whatever she was doing.

"Yeah, I suppose I stumbled into the wrong tent... Would you point me in the right direction? Got some assassin business to attend to."

She hummed a laugh, eyes glancing over the room, "Tell you what, I'll keep this under my hat, if you promise not to murder the Exalt and... help me clean up."

"You drive hard bargain. I guess I have no choice." He smirked, enjoying the to and fro. He watched as she emptied a barrel into the corner of the room, a few scrolls and old books falling out. She proceeded to place it in the centre.

"I propose we just dump all the foam in here, and I'll get rid of it... Somehow."

They began the clean up operation, which they began in a relative but comfortable silence. The noise from the sparring grounds would catch his ear every now and again. This was not how he pictured his night, cleaning up foam in his boss' tent, but he had no cause for complaint seeing how he enjoyed the woman's company. In fact, he had taken quite a shine to the lady.

"So..." the thief began, pulling drops of water from his hair, "... You gonna tell me what happened here?"

She signed, "Must you be so curious?"

"Hey, I'm touchin' this stuff with my bare hands, I have a right to know."

"Fine. But keep it to yourself," She almost whispered, gesturing him over to the desk. She picked up and old tome, using her sleeve to remove the small mountain of foam from it's cover. She then held it up with one hand, revealing a large crack through the centre of the book, as if someone had taken an axe to it, "You remember the battle at the castle a few days ago?"

"You mean 'The Great Battle of Ylisstol'? Yeah, it rings a bell." He smiled as he remembered the drunk woman's theatrics.

She exhaled a laugh, "Ha, of course. Well... This was the tome I was using. I don't know if you remember, but it broke whist we were fighting those mages."

A flash of the battle ran through his mind, remembering how she flung the book to the ground before unsheathing her sword, "Oh, yeah. So you went back for it?"

"Mm. I've been trying to repair it with magic. But... as you can see, it's not working. It just fired out all it's residual energy into well... this."

"Aren't there staves that can repair things like that?" He asked, intrigued.

"Hammerne, yes. But they are extremely rare, and even more so delicate. They should be reserved for the legendary weapons of old. To use one on such a common fire tome would be... Incredibly wasteful."

"So, why not just buy a new fire tome? Why go through the trouble?"

"Well, I have a more powerful tome now," She pondered, pulling the newer, more colourful book from one of the seemingly limitless pockets of her cloak. She placed them side by side, like she was weighing them with her hands, "But it just doesn't feel the same... You know how the same blacksmith, with the same materials, can create two completely different blades? And when you hold the right one, the weight, the length, the speed of the swing – it all feels right?"

"Huh. I had no idea the same went for tomes,"

"It's much more subtle, I admit, but I could definitely feel it."

"Why so secretive? doesn't sound bad to me."

"I don't really want people to know I've been spending what spare time I have trying to repair such a common weapon... especially when I've failed so miserably," She said with a half hearted smile, her eyes scanning over the foamy disaster. She took a moment, walking a few steps to the barrel, "It's silly, I can't waste any more precious time on it... I should just let it go," She finished, dropping the tome.

Gaius quickly caught the book before it could fall into the barrel, noticing how it was still warm from the tactician's attempts to fix it. He looked at her, and in that brief moment, he realised they had both shared something vulnerable between them, a side that either of them seldom let slip. Her want for more time away from her duties, and his attachment to sentimental value.

"I think you should keep it," he said plainly, placing it over the newer tome she still held in her hands, "You said it has qualities that other common tomes don't, suppose that makes it pretty rare."

She accepted the book, placing a hand over it, "Thank you... I hadn't thought of it that way." She looked at him as if his face were a ball of yarn yet to be unravelled. It wasn't the first time he'd been looked at like that, he was prone to be misunderstood purely by his profession.

"There's more to me than meets the eye, Bubbles," he winked, pulling a hand up behind his neck. Though he could say the same for the young woman. He had definitely seen her in a different light, so much more... human than before,

"Well, I don't doubt that."

"Wanna go grab a bite to eat?" He asked, purely just wanting to spend more time with her. He heard her stammer, turning his gaze to find her cheeks reddening. It was strange, he asked maybe selfishly, but innocently all the same – what was gong through her head was a curiosity. Though it was about time she finally lost a bit of composure around him. He was starting to think he'd lost his touch.

"... Maybe. If you stop calling me Bubbles."

"There's always a catch –"

"– Well, well, what's going on in here!" Sully's voice started the two tent dwellers, pulling back the canvas in triumph, "Wait... what the hell actually happened in here?"

"Long story," Gaius replied, a little pissed at the red head's unscrupulous timing. Though he realised that he had completely forgotten to warn the tactician about Sully's impending visit.

"Ugh, whatever. Get your butt out to the sparring ground, commander, I've got a whole world of pain waitin' for ya," The cavalier boasted, turning to leave.

The thief looked to the tactician, the colour on her face had drained to a near white.

"Wait up there, chief!" he called to the hot headed woman, his eyes narrowed in challenge. A spar right now sounded like a good way to blow off some steam, "How about I champion her, y'know, as payback for the saddle."

"All right! We have a challenger!" She laughed, "I hope you know what you're getting into, Chuckles!"

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this awfully dialogue heavy chapter '^^**

 **A LOT more action in the next one, I promise you!**

 **Please leave a review and let me know what you think so far.**

 ***Bonus points if you've noticed the support hints I've scattered throughout the fic so far :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well... It's been a while since I updated this. My apologies. Life, well, got a bit too hectic and my free time suffered.**

 **But that doesnt matter now, new chapter!**

 **Hope you Enjoy!**

* * *

Robin

She watched without reaction as the cavalier and thief strode out of her tent, the canvas flapping back to leave her in silence, Did... did he just leave me to clean this up on my own? She thought with a sour expression, letting out a disgruntled sigh as she looked around her quarters. She walked over to her desk before dropping the tomes onto it in defeat, wondering where to start next. She couldn't decide whether Gauis had volunteered to spar with Sully simply to get out of clean up, or if he did it for her sake. It seemed quite clear that he was gong to be quite the enigma. She let out an amused hum, wondering how badly the thief would lose to the fiery red head. A loud cheer from the spectators then caught her ear, and she turned to face the door. "To hell with this," She whispered excitedly to herself, striding purposefully out of her tent and making her way towards the makeshift arena.

Sully was in the middle of the sparring ring, goading the audience into cheering for her. It seemed to be working too, as the excited chorus of the spectators had drawn even more of company out from their tents. It seemed the evenings amusements where starting earlier than expected.

Robin managed to find a decent specator spot, placing a hand on the loose, wooden fence. Her other hand lifted to feel a few drops of rain against her palm, coaxing her to look up to behold the angry looking skies above her. She pulled up her hood and her eyes searched for the thief, finding him across the arena at the weapons rack, a wooden practice sword held limply in his hand; seemingly trying to get a feel for the weapon.

It was like a duel between night and day. Gaius was calm, cool and collected. Whilst Sully burned with a victory she had not yet won, shining like a beacon of ego.

Robin felt like she was in a unique situation, she had seen both the recruits in action, and the battle actually seemed like an even one. Sure the cavalier was stronger than the thief, but Sully was slower and relied more on brute force then stealth. This would surely be an interesting match.

She looked over to the side as familir voices caught her attention. She smiled as she saw Lissa pushing Maribelle closer to the area, Maribelle remarking on how brutish and uncivilised everything seemed. She then caught the eye of Stahl, who gave a friendly wave before heading over.

"Hey! Didn't think we'd see you out here," He said with his usual bright charm. He settled in the spot next to her, looking out towards the combatants who were getting into position opposite one another.

"Yeah, well, I guess I deserve some downtime now and again," She replied in an unusually carefree way.

"Yes you deserve it, but you seldom take it... What's changed?"

Robin faltered at his words, wondering if everyoner saw her as such a try hard. There was always something to do, always a book to be read or tactics to be drafted, "Nothing has changed... I just have more free time than usual," She let her eyes trail over to the thief, secretly chastising him for letting her guard down. Her eyebrows raised as she saw him salute towards her with the wooden weapon.

"So I take it this has nothing to do with a certain thief I saw seeking into your tent earlier?" Stahl replied nonchalantly.

The tactician instantly felt flustered, wondering how not to dig herself into a hole. She could feel a blush rush over her cheeks, "It's not how it looked, he was there to collect some gold and candy. We just got talking..."

"Ohh, I see. I can put everyone's minds at ease then. You were just giving him some sugar."

"Stahl!"

"Ha ha! Oh come on, I'm just teasing you! I couldn't help myself!"

The roaring cheer of the crowd then caught their attention, followed by the sound of the practice swords clashing together. She suddenly felt a wave of appreciation towards the thief, as he was, after all, fighting the match in her stead. She watched as Sully quickly overpowered Gaius, he managed to parry her strike, before dodging out of the way. It went on this way for quite a few rounds; Gaius trying to find an opening whilst sully countered with sheer force and skill. Soon they were both panting, beads of sweat falling down their faces.

"C'mon Sully! Kick his ass! I've gotta good bit of gold ridin' on ya!" Vaike shouted from not too far away, followed by Lissa's excited cheering.

The two gladiators then sprang towards each other again, swinging their makeshift blades into battle ready positions. As Sully got close, Gauis locked his sword with hers before disarming her quickly, though this was a short victory as the woman instantly grabbed his sword-hand. She then simply charged forward, knocking both of them to the ground.

Everyone watching cheered on the two, Robin even felt her body tense as she stood on her tip toes in anticipation. Sully then took a fist straight to Gaius' chest, winding him. But he was much more agile, pulling his legs up before kicking the cavalier off him with both feet. The thief, took the brief moment to catch his breath again, his hand to his chest.

"Hey there. Have I missed much?" Chroms voice interrupted.

Robin jumped, swinging her head to the side to find the blue haired prince by her side, "Chrom! Good to see you!"

"Good evening, Captain!" Stahl greeted, waving a hand towards the man.

"Thanks, I came to see what all the commotion was about," He smiled, his eyes falling on the sparring ring.

"They're so evenly matched, it's anyone's game at the moment," Robin replied, watching as Sully and Gaius readied for another round, circling each other like two predators.

Sully had recovered her sword, and they ran towards each other again. Another hollow clash sounded, followed by another, and another. Their feet whipped up dust from the ground, billowing like sand clouds beneath them. They took a step back to catch a breath, then fell back into sparring. Sully quickly managed to hit Gaius, smacking him hard in the shoulder with the pommel, causing him to lose grip on his own sword. It fell to the ground and Sully gave a victorious smirk. The crowd cheered in an uproar, certain on the victor. Yet Robin noticed the confident spark in the thief's eye before he lunged forward, quickly swiping up the blade with his other hand. Without any warning or weakness the wooden blade was firm against the cavaliers neck. Sully's dumbfounded expression matched that of the crowd before thy burst into another round of applause. The cavalier then shrugged her shoulders, dropping her blade in defeat.

"Congrats, Chuckes, you win... But it isn't over. We'll pick this up another time... You better be ready." She laughed as she strolled out of the ring.

"Sure thing, Chief," he said after the woman, obviously smug from his victory, "Sooooo... Who's the next challenger?" He said absent mindedly, baring the usual laid back demeanour as he leant the practice sword on his shoulder.

Chrom suddenly used an arm to hoist himself over the wooden barrier, striding confidently into the ring. The hesitation in the thief's face was easy to see, it was clear he wasn't expecting the prince himself to rise to the challenge. She felt a sudden rush of camaraderie watching the man waver, it was only right that she repay the favour. Besides, just watching the previous fight had left her feeling agitated, a primal craving clawing it's way upwards. She ducked under the fence, walking towards Gaius, her eyes gleaming with challenge.

The whole audience was silent, no one wanting to miss a beat, "I'll champion you... It's only fair," She said with a smile, holding her hand out to take his weapon.

Gaius looked visibly releived, and now she was close up, she could see how exhausted he really was, now using his spare hand to soothe his shoulder. "Nice," He replied, slapping her hand before handing her the wooden hilt, "I'm tapping out, don't let me down, Bubbles."

* * *

Sumia

The silence broke as Gaius handed the sword to the Commander, the scene blowing up with cheers and gambling propositions. The energy was palpable, and it lifted her spirits along with the cinders from the fire. She was leant on one of the posts in a more isolated spot from everyone else, trying to avoid the loud crowd to save her throbbing headache, _Oh... I so wish I hadn't drunk so much of that mead last night... my head feels like it's about to crack open_ , She thought, wondering if she should risk the pain in order to get a better view of Chrom. She supped on a cool cup of water and lemon, hoping it would soothe her mind. _Dammit, Sumia, it should be you up there, not her. How else are you going to get Chrom to notice you. Not stood out of the way nursing a headache, that's for sure!_ She closed her eyes as she mentally scolded herself for a few more moments, only opening them when she heard a familiar voice approaching.

"Hey, you drinkin' again? You might have a problem..." Gaius said, walking over to her.

She gave a short yet worried laugh, "Oh, no, it's water. Don't worry! What are you doing here? Don't you want to be closer to the action?" She asked out of curiosity. She liked Gaius, but she still hadn't got a grasp on him yet. Never the less, she could tell that he was at least a genuine person.

"I'm just here to lick my wounds. Believe it or not, Sully really did a number on me, being in that crowd was painful, I've had one too many hard pats on the back."

"I'm surprised you won, Sully's a tough one. I'm sure a lot of people lost a chunk of their wages,"

"Thanks... I guess. So, why is everyone suddenly so hyped?" He asked, cranking his shoulder around to rid himself of the pain.

Sumia gazed over to the sparring grounds, watching as both Chrom and Robin took up offensive stances, almost everyone in the camp was watching now, the place alive with energy. Even Emmeryn has watching from afar. "This is the first time we've seen them spar seriously together. They work so well together on the battlefield, we've only seen them fight side by side. As you can imagine, this is a big deal," She said, though she lacked the energy of the scene before them.

"So, what's up with you then? You don't seem to be enjoying it as much."

Sumia straightened her stance, realising she was open like a book to be read, "I um, well... I just wished that I had the courage to spar with him."

"So... You're jealous, huh?"

"Ah! What? Oh, gods, does it really look that way? Oh... it's so childish isn't it? Stupid!"

"Whoa, relax, Stumbles! Don't tie yourself in a knot, I'm sure you'll get your chance." He replied quickly.

It was so embarrassing, she could feel him trying to dodge her feelings, "You're right. I should be patient," She said, trying to close the conversation. She sighed as she leant her elbows on the fence in front of her, resting her chin on her hands. Gaius didn't reply, he saw was watching the sparring match quite intently, like he was studying them. Unfortunately she couldn't find herself to watch very closely, it didn't even seem like a fight to her, so much as a dance between them. _Why can't I be like that? So smart, beautiful and strong... So... close to him...How the gods can be so cruel_ , She found herself just watching him, admiring from afar. Another roar of the crowd as they both parried, spinning away from each other. It was clear that they both knew each others moves. Chrom was more skilled, but Robin more intelligent and able to predict his moves.

She looked to the thief, trying to decipher the riddle of his face, "Can I... ask you something, Gaius?"

"... Sure" He replied with scepticism, holding is gaze upon the fight.

"You and the Commander..." She trailed off, not asking the question. She was just playing from idle gossip.

"Go on," He replied, his eyes narrowing towards her.

"Well, you've not known each other long... But she acts differently... Well, I saw you come out of her tent earlier, and..."

"What are you trying to say? You fancy me or something?" He gave a snide smile, obviously playing with her.

She felt herself fall a bit ill, was she really being so indirect? "Gods! No! Ugh..." She tried to compose herself, ignoring the unfortunate look on the thief face in reply to her answer.

"Oh, so you mean the commander then. Yeah, I like her. Why?"

"Ah, so we're in the same boat then..." She felt a bit saddened at hearing it, though it was the answer she was looking for.

"You... like her to?"

"Gods, no! Gaius! We are in the same boat of unrequited love! A fiendish love square of hurt and angst!"

"...You sure that's water you're drinking?"

She let out another long sigh in an attempt to derail the conversation into a more productive plight. It was obvious that he hadn't noticed. "Listen, Chrom and Robin... they are basically an item. So we have no chance, that's what I meant with the boat."

"Oh, right, did I mention that I don't have good sea legs?" He replied, obviously deflecting his emotions with bad humour. She gave him a hard stare and he soon responded again, "I'm not worried, what does that blue blood have on me?"

"Well I... shouldn't be the one to answer that question," She replied with a prickly edge, though she could tell he was a little more despondent than earlier, and now regretted starting this conversation.

The familiar swooping sound of an arrow then zipped past the two shepherds, their eyes following it towards the duel, as if the sound had triggered some innate instinct, Chrom immediately pushed robin down, using the flat face of the sword to catch the arrow. It splintered the wood and caused the army to animate in a new way. The scent of battle almost rolling in with the steel harbinger sticking out from the practice sword.

* * *

Gaius

The atmosphere took a sudden nose dive and he looked to the woman next to him, her eyes reflecting the surprise in his.

"Everyone, to your stations, we're under attack!" Chrom commanded, unsheathing his true blade.

"Find the archer! Scouts, survey the area! Report back to me," Robin then chided, getting out of the open ring as quickly as possible.

It seemed they were facing a blind enemy, and as though on cue, the heavens gave an almighty rumble to hail the oncoming storm. Another couple of arrows swooped past them both as they headed for cover near the tents. They were almost to cover when a great scaled claw clutched a fellow soldier just paces in front of them, crushing the man before swooping away with the body. The blood carried on the wind, creating a gruesome red rain to briefly shower them.

"Gaius! I'm going back for my pegasus! I need to scout the area!" Sumia shouted to him, he quickly turned to see the woman, her face splatted with the blood of her comrade, though her eyes settled more fierce than grieved. He understood, he knew she could take care of herself, and she had her own duties to perform in this situation.

"All right, stay alive," He said, trying to hold onto some semblance of calm.

"You too, no dying on me!" She replied before turning heel, retracing their steps before she vanished from sight, the darkness falling over her.

The skies were alive, like he was looking into a black jungle in the sky. The roar of Wyverns joining with the thunder to create an almighty chorus. He felt the air pressure change as one of the winged beasts swooped close to the ground, the force of it's wings putting out all the light in the vicinity. _How many of these things are there..._ He cursed to himself, finding his way in the darkness as the sound's of battle guided his ears. He wondered where his part would fall in all this. Unlike Stumbles he had no role yet in the army, if anything he presumed he was there for convenience in case a lock needed picking.

Abruptly a bolt of lightening magic shot upwards towards the sky from nearby, lighting up the area in a white light, revealing the heavens to be crawling with Wyvern riders. He instantly recognised it as magic, wondering if it was a beacon for the army. The blinding pulses continued, the caster obviously trying to strike down some of the wyverns as they did so. A reflection swiftly caught his eye, a flash of steel and a cry of war. He instinctively dodged the spear coming for his body, his sword whipping around as he ducked, slicing through the body of the enemy. He took a breath, having no desire to look upon his enemy. His hand then jerked the sword from it, as his shoulder sent a bolt of pain down his arm, _Not good!_ He seethed, picking it up with his other hand. The rain started coming down heavier as he made his way to source of the magic, Pegasus knights visible around the parameter, dancing in battle with the great dragons that circled above.

He noticed her immediately, the tactician in the centre of the light before darkness fell again. He quickly made his way over, looking forward to the next bolt of light to help him find his way. As expected another flash erupted from her tome, but this time the large figure of a wyvern towered over the woman, it's bat like wings outstretched, as if it was about to devour her. She then struck the creature with her magic, the beast screeching in pain as two pegasus knights dove towards it, felling the beast in one fatal swoop. The rest of the wyverns retreated, aware of the danger before them.

"Don't let your guard down! They'll be back!" She commanded, "Phila, take a small squad to pursue them, don't let them attempt another foothold!"

"Yes, Commander!" The woman agreed, hailing a small handful of other pegasi before their white hides vanished into the ebony skies.

"Gaius!" She shouted towards him, snapping his eyes from the skies.

He swiftly took position at her side, eyes watching over the battlefield, as if he were trying to look everywhere at once, "Looked like you needed some help," he tried to joke.

"I'm glad you found us," She replied, much to his relief. She looked ruffled, her hood was down, hair loose to the elements.

"Where did they all come from? How did they know we were here?" He asked as the woman sent up another bolt of reverse lightening into the skies, revealing it to be clear of the flying serpents.

She hissed with pain and looked to her hand, Gaius noticing a burn covering the side of it, "Your guess is as good as mine, some of our scouts were taken out... I think that's how they managed to sneak up on us."

"So... what are your orders?" He asked simply, knowing that she needed him to cooperate, but he also felt compelled to find his place, a role to play in all this. Everyone else was fighting their own battle whilst he stood beside the tactician with his weapon drawn.

She took a few deep breaths, watching as the troops held the front line, her focus then fell to him like he was some sort of opportunity, "You can escort me to my tent,"

He gave her a serious look, was this some kind of joke he wasn't in on? "Beg pardon?"

"I need to get my other tomes! This thunder tome is too advanced, it'll start to damage me if I use it any longer!" She hailed a couple of archers close by before commanding the nearby general to hold their position. The tacticians quarters weren't far by a long shot but, on a battlefield, even a few feet could seem like miles. He would have offered to go on her behalf, yet he couldn't even tell the difference between a book and a tome. "Let's go! Stay close!"

"You got it," He replied justly as they, and two soldiers, began their short journey towards her quarters. The ground had become muddy through the rain and constant movement, kicking up dark puddles as they ran. The tent was soon in sight, yet as they neared it the great bellow of a wyvern caught their attention, the great beast circling close overhead. Robin immediately fell back towards the archers, holding firm as they aimed their bows towards the beast. As soon as she signalled the archers to fire, another wyvern swooped down, knocking them away just as they let their arrows fly. Robin also fell victim to the surprise attack.

The arrows still hit their mark, yet only on the wings of the creature, causing it to lose it's flight, as it crashed down upon her tent.

"Dammit!" She cried as she rose to her feet, clutching her arm, "We need to fall back!"

He nodded in agreement as he returned to her side, but the gurgling growl of the felled beast rose from the darkness. It took no time for the creature to find it's footing, large teeth glinting in the after light as it's jaws opened in their direction. It scrambled forward, using it's one good wing to keep it's balance. Though it was wounded, the wyvern was still fast, and it's apparent anger made it just as deadly. Gaius had his sword at the ready, but the situation looked rather bleak when it came to melee combat, for his bade looked akin to a letter opener against such a creature. It seemed the tactician had similar thoughts as she let loose a harsh crackle of lightening. It yowled in pain, taking a few steps back from them. He then heard Robin scream herself, falling to one knee as she clutched at her arm, blood dripping from the sleeve of her cloak.

He remembered her saying something about the tome causing her harm, realising that the situation was much more dire than he had thought. He watched as the creature then rear up to lunge forward again, it's sights set upon the tactician, though she clearly had no time to dodge the attack. He did not falter though, only one thought came to mind, and it was ike his body moved without instruction. He roughly pushed her out of the way as a searing pain clamped over the side of his body. He soon found himself launched into the air before feeling the full force of the ground beneath him.

* * *

 **Damn, breakneck pass is sucking up chapters! Hope you enjoyed a little more action.**

 **I will try my best to get this updated in a more... Timely manner this time.**

 **Thank you all :)**


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